Assessment of systematic use of intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography during cardiac surgery in adults: a prospective study of 203 patients.

Objective: To determine the usefulness of systematic intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography in a cardiac surgical unit.

Design: Open prospective observational survey.

Setting: University Hospital.

Participants: Consecutive adult patients (n = 203) undergoing elective or urgent cardiac operations.

Measurements And Main Results: Pre-cardiopulmonary bypass imaging yielded unsuspected findings in 26 patients (12.8%) and changed the planned surgery in 22 patients (10.8%). Transesophageal echocardiography modified the diagnosis in eight patients (17%) operated on for mitral valvulopathy, in seven patients (15.5%) with aortic valvular disease, in four patients (4.6%) with coronary artery disease, in five patients operated on for thoracic aorta diseases regardless of their localization (18.5%), and in two miscellaneous cases. On the basis of the data obtained from the transesophageal echocardiography carried out at the end of cardiopulmonary bypass, an immediate reintervention was required in five cases (2.5%).

Conclusions: It is concluded that systematic intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography significantly affected decision making in this cardiac surgical unit. Its routine use in all cardiac surgical patients is recommended.